The present invention generally relates to a record cleaner for cleaning a phonographic disc record and, more particularly, to a self-propelled record cleaner having a battery-operated motor drive which enables the cleaner to run on the disc record while removing dusts therefrom.
Various types of record cleaners are currently available in the market. Of them, the most sophisticated one is considered a battery-operated record cleaner such as disclosed in the Japanese Laid-open Utility Model Publication No. 54-125204 laid open to public inspection on Sept. 1, 1979.
According to the above mentioned laid-open publication, the battery-operated record cleaner comprises a generally rectangular-sectioned casing having upper and lower chambers defined therein, a cylindrical brush rotatably accommodated in the lower chamber with a portion of the outer periphery of the cylindrical brush exposed to the outside in a direction opposite to the upper chamber, a battery-operated motor housed within the upper chamber together with at least one battery, and an endless belt transmission system for transmitting the drive of the motor to the cylindrical brush. A pair of opposed side walls of the casing defining the lower chamber have a plurality of vent openings, such as parallel slots, through which air current induced by the rotation of the cylindrical brush is vented to the outside. Dusts carried by the air current so induced are adapted to be trapped by filter cloths attached to the perforated side walls, which perforated side walls are so hingedly supported as to be opened for the removal of the dusts accumulated within the lower chamber.
A portion of the casing above the hingedly supported and perforated side walls and adjacent the upper chamber serves a grip accessible to the hand of a user.
The record cleaner of the construction disclosed in the above mentioned laid-open publication is also provided with an optionally retractable guide piece adjacent one end of the cylindrical brush. This guide piece when set to a projected position enables the user to turn the record cleaner around the center opening of the disc record with the guide piece held in sliding contact with the outer peripheral edge of the disc record.
Although the use of the guide piece appears to be convenient for the user to turn the record cleaner around the center opening of the disc record to be cleaned or brushed, there still remains such a disadvantage that the user is forced to take care lest the guide piece should depart from its contact with the outer peripheral edge of the disc record. In addition, even though battery-operated, the conventional record cleaner is a hand-held type and, so long as it remains a hand-held type, the disc record being cleaned or brushed is likely to receive uneven pressure applied thereto through the brush. The application of the uneven pressure to the disc record is, as is well understood by those skilled in the art as well as audiomanias, likely to result in formation of indents on each delicate, grooved surface of the disc record. Naturally, the formation of the indents on the grooved surface of the disc record in turn results in distorted reproduction of information recorded on the disc record.
An idea of coupling a record cleaner to a turntable spindle while the disc record is mounted on the turntable of a record player in coaxial relation with the turntable spindle so that the record cleaner can turn around the turntable spindle brushing the grooved surface of the disc record is disclosed in the Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 51-27783 published July 14, 1976. According to this publication, the cleaner comprises an elongated casing of a length larger than the radius of the disc record available, a cylindrical brush partly accommodated within the casing and extending from one end of the casing to a substantially intermediate portion thereof, and a shaft member rotatably carried by the casing at a position adjacent the opposite end thereof and extending completely across the casing at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the cylindrical brush in a direction which, when the record cleaner is placed on the disc record with the shaft member aligned with the turntable spindle, is perpendicular to the plane of rotation of the disc record. The shaft member has one end inwardly recessed, or otherwise provided with a socket member, for receiving the turntable spindle and the other end pivotally connected with a foldable handle which, when the record cleaner is in use, protrudes diagonally upwardly from the casing at one side of the shaft member remote from the cylindrical brush.
For rotating the cylindrical brush about its own longitudinal axis, the shaft member is operatively coupled to the cylindrical brush through mating bevel gears fast with the shaft member and one end of the cylindrical shaft, respectively. Since the record cleaner disclosed in the latter mentioned publication is not a motor-driven type, the record cleaner when in use must be manually turned around the turntable spindle while the shaft member is fixed relative to the turntable spindle. Fixing the shaft member relative to the turntable spindle is accomplished by holding the handle with one hand while the other hand is used to turn the record cleaner around the turntable spindle. By so doing, the cylindrical brush is rotated to brush the grooved surface of the disc record while the record cleaner riding on the disc record turns around the turntable spindle.
This simplified record cleaner appears to be more convenient than the above described, battery-operated record cleaner in the sense that the record surface can uniformly be brushed or cleaned in a circumferential direction of the disc record. However, both hands of a user are required to manipulate the record cleaner. In addition, where the record player is placed at a position above the floor approximating to the level of the eyes of the user, attempt to turn the record cleaner on the disc record with his hands raised above the eye level is likely to result in wobbling motion of the record cleaner relative to the disc record while pivoting about the point of contact of the top of the turntable spindle to the shaft member unless the handle is carefully held with the hand to keep the shaft member in exact alignment with the longitudinal axis of the turntable spindle. This wobbling motion of the record cleaner relative to the disc record involves uneven application of pressure to the grooved surface of the disc record.